El-Gazzar’s visit to Tanzania aims to follow up on the work progress at the 2,115 MW hydropower project constructed on the Rufiji River, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Housing said on Thursday.

The work on the $2.9 billion JNHPP has been ongoing since 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, when it will provide clean power for more than 60 million Tanzanians as well as control water flow during flooding.

The JNHPP is expected to produce 5,920 GWh of power annually.

The project is being implemented through a joint venture of two Egyptian companies, the Arab Contractors Company and Elsewedy Electric, providing work to 8,000 Tanzanians and 1,000 Egyptian and foreign workers, according to official remarks in December.

Underway and completed work

The majority of the construction work on the body of the main dam has almost been completed, El-Gazzar said during his inspection tour.

Also, the installation of the electrical switchyard, which connects the dam to the Tanzanian power grid, is nearing completion, the minister noted.

Meanwhile, work is underway to construct the concrete structure on the top of the dam, where the main gates of the spillway will be installed, he added.

Work on the main intakes of the channels connecting the water to the building that houses the turbines is proceeding in accordance with the planned rates, El-Gazzar said.

This includes digging the three main channels which are more than 1500-metre-long and lined with concrete, he added.

Work at the turbine assembly building has also been completed and three mammoth cranes have been installed to receive the main turbine units, Gazzar said.

Installation of the turbines, one of the most important components of the project, are now underway, El-Gazzar added.

The main bridge extending over the Rufiji River has been completed as part of the dam project, which helps move the weighty turbine units between the two banks of the river, El-Gazzar said.

It has the largest capacity of any bridge in Tanzania, capable of holding up to 300 tons, the minister said. The bridge is 250 metre-long and is established on 50-metre-long pillars.

Work on one of the three saddle dams – up to 15-kilometre-long auxillary embankments that increase the capacity of the reservoir – has been completed, while work on the two others are nearly complete despite challenges the work team faced during the rainy season.

The minister confirmed Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s keenness to regularly follow up on the project in light of its great significance to the Tanzanian people.

Example of cooperation

El-Sisi has repeatedly affirmed his support for the project to ensure that it is accomplished in accordance with world-class construction requirements to serve as a leading model for constructive cooperation between Egypt and Tanzania.

The project has been described as “an example of cooperation” between African countries regarding development projects, especially in the water sector.

The JNHPP is 1,025 metres long at the summit and 131 metres high with a storage capacity of about 34 billion cubic metres of water.

When complete, the JNHPP will be the largest in Tanzania, and the energy generated will be transmitted at a voltage of 400 kilovolts to a substation where it will be integrated into the national electricity grid.

The project dates back to August 2017, when Tanzania announced bids for the construction of the dam, which were later won by the Egyptian consortium.